Egypt's Al-Azhar distances itself from crackdown

Egyptian riot police guard the entrance of al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, on April 4, 2003. Al-Azhar -- Sunni Islam's main seat of learning -- has distanced itself from the crackdown on protesters loyal to ousted president Mohamed Morsi which left dozens dead. (AFP/File)

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's main seat of learning, on Wednesday distanced itself from the crackdown on protesters loyal to ousted president Mohamed Morsi which left dozens dead.

"Al-Azhar stresses to all Egyptians that it did not know about the methods used for the dispersal of the protests except through media channels," Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb said in a televised statement.